Edward Graham Paley | |
|---|---|
 E. G. Paley in 1868 | |
| Born | 3 September 1823 Easingwold, North Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 23 January 1895 (aged 71) Lancaster, Lancashire, England |
| Occupation | Architect |
Edward Graham Paley, usually known as E. G. Paley (3 September 1823 – 23 January 1895), was an English architect who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, in the second half of the 19th century. After leaving school in 1838, he went to Lancaster to become a pupil of Edmund Sharpe, and in 1845 he joined Sharpe as a partner. Sharpe retired from the practice in 1851, leaving Paley as the sole principal. In 1868, Hubert Austin joined him as a partner, and in 1886, Paley's son, Henry, also became a partner. This partnership continued until Paley's death in 1895.
Paley's major work was the design of new churches, but he also rebuilt, restored and made additions and alterations to existing churches. His major new ecclesiastical design was that of St Peter's Church, Lancaster, which became Lancaster Cathedral. He also carried out secular commissions, mainly on country houses in the north-west of England. His largest and most important secular work was the Royal Albert Asylum in Lancaster. When designing churches, Paley mainly used the Gothic Revival style, but in his secular works he employed a greater variety of styles, including Tudor Revival and Scottish Baronial as well as Gothic Revival.
Paley played little part in the political life of Lancaster, but he was involved with cultural events and sports in the town. His interests included music and archaeology, and he was involved in archery and rowing. In addition to designing the Royal Albert Asylum, he served on its committee, as well as being on the committees of local schools and the Mechanics' Institute. His work tended to be eclipsed in the later part of his career by Austin, and Paley is regarded as having been a competent architect, rather than a great one.